Police arrested Sujan Lamichhane and Santosh Periyar on 1 April 2023, on charges of caste discrimination against Narayan Pariyar by inviting him to the Bratabandh party.
Among the accused, Ramji Lamichhane and Sarita Lamichhane are absconding and are being searched by the police to be arrested.
Narayan Pariyar filed a complaint against the ward members Ramji Lamichhane, Sujan Lamichhane, Sarita Lamichhane, and Santosh Pariyar at the District Police Office on 20 March 2023, alleging Caste-based- discrimination during the feast in coming of age ceremony on Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality-5 Rivan.
Meanwhile, various organizations working in human rights protection and advocacy have condemned the incident in Machhapuchche-5 Rivan. They issued a press release on 1 April and demanded action against the culprits.
Chairperson of Mukti Samaj Kaski Balram Lamgade, Executive Chairperson of Nepal Dalit Association, Prem Pariyar, Chairperson of Nepal Dalit Mukti Morcha, Bhim Bahadur Nepali, Chairperson of Nepal Dalit Mukti Sangthan Lal Bahadur Ghatane, Program Coordinator of Dalit Women’s Association, Kaski Ishwari B.K, Chairperson of Civic Society for Peace Pokhara, Bina Silwal, Coordinator of Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) Gandaki, Shiv Khakurel, Chairperson of Women’s Human Rights Defenders Network, Keshu Bhujel, Executive Chairperson of Non-Governmental Organization Mahasangh Gandaki, Padmaraj Pahari, Ganesh Baraili of Vishwakarma Society, and Kisan Pariyar of Pariyar Society issued a statement and requested the concerned parties to pay attention to justice.
The victim alleges that the ward member Ramji Lamichhane threw away all the food from his kitchen alleging that Dalits had entered the kitchen, and Santosh Pariyar threatened Narayan Pariyar over the phone demanding Rs. 150,000 as compensation for food discarded after he had touched it.